SUCCESS STORY: Rugby student becomes the first ever to play at World Cup

Diogo Hasse Ferreira, who has played for his country 36 times in total since his debut in 2017, came off the replacements bench early in the second half of Portugal’s group game against Wales over the weekend.

26-year-old Diogo grew up in Cascais, before moving to England at 16, enrolling on a rugby study programme at Myerscough.

Two years later, upon graduation, he officially joined the Sale Sharks Academy. Alongside the academy, he studied at Durham University, for which he also played rugby in the university championship held by British Universities and Colleges Sport.

He played for Sharks in the Premiership, making history against Leicester when he became the first Portuguese player to appear in the top level of English rugby union.

He then joined Newcastle Falcons, before moving back to Portugal to his training club, GDS Cascais.

From there, he went to Spain, to join Aparejadores Burgos, and then to France, joining Stade Dijonnais.

Diogo currently plays for US Dax Rugby Landes in France as a tighthead prop.

We wish Diogo all the very best with the rest of the World Cup tournament and his future career.